XLR is one of the popular audio connectors you will come across in the audio industry. The term XLR is an abbreviation for “External Line Return”. An XLR connector may have three or more pins. However, the XLR connector primarily used is the one with the 3-pin connector.

The 3.5mm TRRS male connector is a four-conductor version of the 3.5mm connector. Thus, the TRRS in its name represents the four conductors or sections of the connector. This adapter is normally used to connect 3.5mm TRS microphones to professional recording equipment that has female XLR ports. XLR connectors are better than 3.5mm connectors. Cables with XLR connectors deliver audio of much better quality than cables with 3.5mm connectors. Another difference between XLR and 3.5mm connectors lies in their build quality. In general, most XLR connectors are made from relatively high-quality materials. Due to this, they do not get damaged easily. Thus, XLR connectors tend to last longer than 3.5mm connectors. Over the years, 3.5mm connectors have gathered a bad reputation as being cheaply built. This is not surprising since most 3.5mm connectors are made from inferior materials. Thus the pins of 3.5mm connectors tend to break easily. Which is Better: XLR or 3.5mm?Thus, cables with 3.5mm connectors are susceptible to being accidentally pulled out from the audio equipment they are connected to. Build Quality All cables with an XLR connector are known to be balanced cables. This is because they primarily carry balanced audio signals. Any audio cable designed to be balanced can eliminate external noise and interferences that may try to affect the purity of the audio signal it is carrying. Due to this, the audio signal they transmit in such situations tends to be of poor quality. This is the main reason why XLR comes up top over 3.5mm. Yes, you can connect an XLR to a 3.5mm. You can connect a device with an XLR port to another device that accepts a 3.5mm connector. This can be done by using a 3.5mm to XLR adapter. Fortunately, because XLR is designed to transmit balanced audio signals, it is not susceptible to these external noises and electromagnetic interference. Thus, an XLR can be used for long cable-run applications without facing any problems.

Due to this, it can transmit voice signals when you speak through them. Thus, this particular 3.5mm connector is normally used in conjunction with smartphones. Difference Between XLR and 3.5mm Balanced/UnbalancedAlso, the three pins of XLR connectors provide a much better and more reliable connection than that of the 3.5mm connector. Thus, connections involving XLR connectors tend to be more solid than a 3.5mm connector connection. Can You Connect XLR to 3.5mm? You can find 3.5mm ports on other audio devices such as mixing consoles, DACs, audio interfaces, integrated amps, and receivers. Thus, this audio equipment also allows you to connect headphones with 3.5mm connectors to them. Due to this, whenever an XLR connector is being mentioned, it is the 3-pin XLR connector that is being referred to. Thus, a typical XLR connector is a 3-pin connector that is used in the audio and visual industries. This 3-pin connector is usually used to connect microphones and some musical equipment. Because the cables that come with XLR connectors are basically noise-canceling, many prefer them over 3.5mm cables.